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Tattoo Pigment Interpreted as Lymph Node Metastasis in a Case of Subungual Melanoma

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Abstract

We present a patient with subungual melanoma of the thumb who, during radioisotope-guided selective sentinel lymphadenectomy, was found to have black, hard lymph nodes at multiple axillary node levels. This finding was interpreted intraoperatively as clinical evidence of metastasis and a formal axillary dissection was carried out. Pathological examination of excised nodes failed to demonstrate metastasis but instead showed collections of tattoo pigment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hand Surgery Section, Departments of Orthopedics and Surgery, Denver Health Medical Center and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Steven L. Peterson & Kagan Ozer

  2. Departments of Dermatology and Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Lela A. Lee

  3. Alpine Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgery, 1120 Wellington Avenue, Suite 208, Grand Junction, CO, 81501, USA

    Steven L. Peterson, Lela A. Lee & James E. Fitzpatrick

Authors
  1. Steven L. Peterson
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  2. Lela A. Lee
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  3. Kagan Ozer
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  4. James E. Fitzpatrick
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven L. Peterson.

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Peterson, S.L., Lee, L.A., Ozer, K. et al. Tattoo Pigment Interpreted as Lymph Node Metastasis in a Case of Subungual Melanoma. HAND 3, 282–285 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-008-9107-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-008-9107-1

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